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Conception

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Original poster

TTC Cycle 8 with 1% sperm morphology

84 replies

DreamingSwan · 17/01/2025 10:22

I’m a longtime lurker here and have just signed up because there’s no one I can talk to about this in real life who understands or is going through the same thing. I’m looking for some kind words, success stories, or just general solidarity!

I am 32, will be 33 in less than 5 months. I had just turned 32 when we started trying. My DH is 29, turning 30 in 5 months. We’re now on our 8th cycle of TTC for baby #1.

I’m massively Type A so we’ve never had a “relax and see what happens” phase. I’ve been using OPKs from the very start, sticking them in a book and marking when we DTD. We use conception-friendly lube.

My cycles are very regular, 26-28 days on average, but my bleeds are on the heavy side. I was on the pill when I was at uni well over a decade ago, but came off it because it made me depressed—I think I was never on it for more than a year or two. I am slim, non smoker, barely drink, eat healthily.

Not a hint of a BFP yet, no chemicals, nothing. I’ve been worried something is wrong for a while now so I booked DH in for a SA. The results came back showing a very high sperm count, slightly above average motility, but only 1% morphology. The report said this is classed as teratazoospermia and it said his sperm might find it hard to find and penetrate my egg. It was a horrible shock to read the report.

DH doesn’t like alcohol—he has approx 3 ciders a year and that’s it. He’s never smoked or done drugs. He eats healthily and is very slim (always has been). He is the epitome of health. He cycles to work, but given his count is so high I’m not convinced it’s the cycling that is causing his morphology issues.

The evidence seems mixed about whether low morphology is problematic when other sperm markers are good. Anecdotally, it looks like lots of couples get pregnant anyway, but lots don’t and need IVF with ICSI. We can’t find any evidence on whether there’s a reason it seems to affect some couples’ outcomes and not others. The GP has told DH not to worry and that it may just take us longer. Other people in the same situation have been told they’ll need IVF. I’m terrified of IVF because of the expense and how low the success rates are. I’m so anxious I don’t know what to do with myself. I hate the uncertainty.

I’m convinced something is wrong with me too. I’ve been having pain on deep penetration for the last 2 years or so, having never had problems with deep penetration before. I also get random twinges in my pelvic region and I’ve been told I’ve got a tilted (retroverted) uterus. In 2023 they investigated these symptoms and found a polyp in my womb and having it removed was so excruciatingly painful I nearly fainted. (It was meant to be mildly uncomfortable.) I’m worried I have undiagnosed endo or something (albeit with less severe symptoms than the typical endo case). I also never get EWCM. Could it be that the SA is a red herring, and the problem is actually with me?

Does anyone have any advice? I’m so tearful all the time because my maternal instinct is so strong and not being able to get pregnant is breaking my heart. It’s a cliché, but it really is true that all my friends and family members who have babies got pregnant within the first or second cycle of trying. I feel so jealous. Seeing babies everywhere is even starting to bother my very stoical and calm DH.

Sorry for such a long post, I’m just going out of my mind with worry and I don’t know what else to do but post here and hope someone can offer some consolation.

OP posts:
Original poster
DreamingSwan · 26/02/2025 08:50

HopeB · 26/02/2025 04:42

Hi @DreamingSwan, I’ve just come across your thread. How are you doing?

I know how you’re feeling, as my DH & I had fertility checks earlier this month, and although my DH’s count and motility were very good, his morphology was on the low side.
We didn’t think much of it at the time we got the results as his count is so high - surely it kind of balances out, right - but I’ve just got a BFN, so am starting another cycle and I’m starting to get nervous.

I’ve done some research, and zinc and folic acid is supposed to be good to improve morphology. We are both currently taking Zit West (we’re going into our second month of taking it) - which has the recommended daily zinc allowance, so we’re hoping for an improvement after 3 months (even better, a BFP ✨🤞🏾)

I will say though, that having my scan and blood test results really helped me. It was such a relief that everything is good (except I have some fibroids, but so do 50% of women + a tilted uterus). I would suggest having a scan (if you can), just for peace of mind.

I hope everything works out for you guys and I’m sending lots of baby dust your way ✨ let us know how you get on and I’m always here if you feel like venting ☺️ xx

Hi @Hope, thanks so much for responding! I'm sorry to hear you're in a similar situation with your DH's sperm. The supplement plan sounds like a good way of being proactive and I really hope it makes a difference for you guys. I'm thinking of putting my DH on Impryl as I've heard good things but I'll research ZW too.

We are just out of the fertile window for our 9th cycle TTC, so now it's a case of waiting for probable AF in around two weeks.
I'm feeling quite anxious because we threw the kitchen sink at it this month! We used a Ferti-lilly cup for the first time, DTD loads more either side of peak OPK, and (sorry if TMI but I'm only sharing in case it helps someone else!) I read that the first wave of semen has the best quality sperm so I got DH to pull out after the first thrust. If that makes sense! Blush

The other update from me is that I've booked private fertility testing for myself. My appointment isn't till early April but I figured that's much quicker than an NHS referral would be. We're now at eight months TTC so the NHS wouldn't refer me anyway. Trying not to panic about it, I'm so scared I'll have low ovarian reserve or something. But trying to be positive that I'm doing something to move forward.

And now we wait... Baby dust to you too, I really hope you get your BFP soon! Flowers

OP posts:
1woodpecker · 26/02/2025 08:43

As @LemonViewer says, the book It Starts With The Egg is brilliant and gives clear recommendations on supplementing. Worth a go

1woodpecker · 26/02/2025 08:42

Sorry to hear you’re struggling. Have you done any fertility tests yourself? And are you trying any supplements etc - wonder if that might help with EWCM?

LemonViewer · 26/02/2025 05:12

Hi, I'm so sorry you are going through this. I don't have the exact experience but suffered 3 consecutive baby losses whilst trying for our second. I'm also massively type A so 'go with the flow' is not my style.There is a book called It Starts With the Egg by Rebecca Fett that covers a lot about how you can boost fertility. Whilst we were going through our recurrent loss journey - which spanned just over a very heartbreaking year - we saw countless consultants but the one who eventually gave me the protocol that led to our rainbow baby advised my husband to take Impryl for sperm health (we hadn't done any tests on him at this point). We both also took Ubiquinol and some other supplements from the book. You can go into a real deep dive on these things (the quality of the supplements, methyfolate instead of regular form folic acid etc) and others honestly thought I was crazy but I didn't care - I was absolutely heartbroken and not willing to give up without giving it my all. Definitely see GP for the pelvic pain. You both are young which is positive. Seeking out support from others going through similar can also really help with the mental anguish. It's a hard journey but you have to keep positive - you'll get there! Wishing you all the best

twoforwardoneback · 26/02/2025 05:02

My husband and I spent lots of time on this issue. My husband had good count and motility but morphology generally moved between 1-4%.

A few things that were explained to us by specialist doctors:

  • Not impossible to get pregnant with 1% morphology if count and motility are good, but harder;
  • Generally morphology needs to be at least 4%;
  • A sperm analysis is all a bit academic anyway so don’t get too hung up on the numbers - it means someone in the lab has looked at 100 sperm and counted those results but they might have got a different number if they picked a different 100 sperm in the same sample, a different person may count differently and the numbers will vary anyway from month to month.

We were initially referred to IVF and ICSI which wasn’t successful for us as I have low egg reserve.

We did conceive naturally a few times (incidentally when my husband had recently had an analysis with morphology at 4%) but these ended in loss.

It turned out that my husband had a varicocele which was likely contributing to poor morphology, Doctors gave mixed views on whether operating on this would improve fertility but we decided to go ahead with the op anyway as we were at the end of our options by this point. I conceived naturally 5 months later and I’m currently sitting feeding my 2 week old baby boy.

PregnantForNow · 26/02/2025 04:58

My bf has low morphology - 2%. But he also has a high sperm count like yours and my fertility specialist has advised that basically when you've got enough sperm then even if loads of them are shaped funny you've still got a good chance purely because there are SO MANY sperm still. 1% of millions is still so many and you only need one.

We have some other problems my end but he has got me pregnant twice even though it has taken us longer than a few cycles - again, problems my end too.

Morphology has also been shown to change literally week by week by chance alone. I promise you, 8 cycles in is very normal to not get BFP.

I'm also 32 and started trying at 30. I'm currently pregnant and have been pregnant once before (unfortunately not viable).

HopeB · 26/02/2025 04:42

Hi @DreamingSwan, I’ve just come across your thread. How are you doing?

I know how you’re feeling, as my DH & I had fertility checks earlier this month, and although my DH’s count and motility were very good, his morphology was on the low side.
We didn’t think much of it at the time we got the results as his count is so high - surely it kind of balances out, right - but I’ve just got a BFN, so am starting another cycle and I’m starting to get nervous.

I’ve done some research, and zinc and folic acid is supposed to be good to improve morphology. We are both currently taking Zit West (we’re going into our second month of taking it) - which has the recommended daily zinc allowance, so we’re hoping for an improvement after 3 months (even better, a BFP ✨🤞🏾)

I will say though, that having my scan and blood test results really helped me. It was such a relief that everything is good (except I have some fibroids, but so do 50% of women + a tilted uterus). I would suggest having a scan (if you can), just for peace of mind.

I hope everything works out for you guys and I’m sending lots of baby dust your way ✨ let us know how you get on and I’m always here if you feel like venting ☺️ xx

Original poster
DreamingSwan · 17/01/2025 11:54

PIXI90 · 17/01/2025 11:08

I have nothing to add in terms of experience with sperm as we have never had any fertility tests but what I will say (and I know you probably are fed up of hearing it) it can just take time to get pregnant. It took me 13 months to get pregnant first time and another 9 months to get pregnant the second time. I too have a retroverted uterus and (TMI) I conceived both times doing doggy style. We tried missionary for months and it did not work for us. I also get a v deep pain at certain points in my cycle mostly around ovulation but this is not there all the time. I also do not have an abundance of CM. Lots of water and green tea sort of fixed this leading up to ovulation but I found I dried up on positive OPK day so we used a small amount of preseed. If you are very worried I would go and get checked but GP will most likely not do anything until 12 months. These things do take time for some people, me being one of them but I wouldn’t be too worried on cycle 8 :)

Edited

Thanks for your kind reply. I’m sure you’re right about not needing to be worried but I can’t shake the feeling something is wrong, and I’m so worried about DH’s sperm. I guess we just have to wait and see. :( He’s been referred for further investigations but you’re right the GP won’t help me until 12 months.
I have the opposite problem with my tilted uterus—doggy style is agonising so we can only do missionary. I’m always telling DH I’m worried he’ll get bored with the sex but he doesn’t seem to mind (or at least is being very kind about it)!
It is reassuring to hear stories of people who take a bit longer—everyone in my world seems to get pregnant straight away or be infertile. Maybe the people who take longer don’t shout about it?

OP posts:
PIXI90 · 17/01/2025 11:08

I have nothing to add in terms of experience with sperm as we have never had any fertility tests but what I will say (and I know you probably are fed up of hearing it) it can just take time to get pregnant. It took me 13 months to get pregnant first time and another 9 months to get pregnant the second time. I too have a retroverted uterus and (TMI) I conceived both times doing doggy style. We tried missionary for months and it did not work for us. I also get a v deep pain at certain points in my cycle mostly around ovulation but this is not there all the time. I also do not have an abundance of CM. Lots of water and green tea sort of fixed this leading up to ovulation but I found I dried up on positive OPK day so we used a small amount of preseed. If you are very worried I would go and get checked but GP will most likely not do anything until 12 months. These things do take time for some people, me being one of them but I wouldn’t be too worried on cycle 8 :)

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